# ‘Not afraid of controversy’: Edinburgh fringe rejects calls to cancel Amanda Knox comedy

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/not-afraid-of-controversy-edinburgh-fringe-rejects-calls-to-cancel-amanda-knox-comedy/
- Published: 2026-08-07T13:35:35+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-08T14:36:23+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2026/aug/07/edinburgh-fringe-rejects-calls-cancel-amanda-knox-comedy-cartwheel
- Topics: Culture, Europe, World

## Key points

- Fringe rejects calls to cancel Amanda Knox’s comedy show.
- Kercher’s family says the show trivialises violence.
- Knox says the show honours Kercher’s memory.

## Summary

Edinburgh Fringe organisers and the venue Gilded Balloon Teviot have rejected calls to cancel Amanda Knox’s sold-out comedy show, Cartwheel, despite criticism from Meredith Kercher’s family and a petition signed by more than 9,000 people. The dispute matters because it raises questions about artistic freedom, the limits of comedy and the sensitivities surrounding a high-profile murder case.

Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were acquitted in 2015 of Kercher’s 2007 murder after earlier convictions; Rudy Hermann Guede was convicted and later released in 2021. Kercher’s sister Stephanie said the show trivialised violence against women, while Knox said it addresses motherhood and misogyny, honours Kercher’s memory and does not joke about her death. Fringe director Tony Lankester said decisions on the show rest with Knox and the venue, and the venue cited the festival’s open-access commitment to lawful free expression.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.